: . . . Builder . . . said S & G don't hold up well--failing at the
: joints between panels, compared to strip built. . .
: So any comments on durability of S & G

"Dynamite" Payson wrote on book on "Instant Boats" which was an inspiration and guide for many people building with the method we now know as "Stitch and Glue". The techniques worked for a lot of boats--including those mauch larger than canoes and kayaks. When Payson's book first came out the only resin available was polyester, so that was what was used. Years later we know that epoxy bonds a bit better. The older methods of stitch and glue used two or three layers of fiberglass tape only over the seams. The rest of the wood was then simply painted.

Strip-built boats must have the entire hulls sheathed with fiberglass on the inside and outside. There is a larger surface area for the bonding of the glass, and you don't have the edges of the seams under the waterline.

Well, I know that paint "breathes" a little, and moisture can invade the wood over time. That can help to weaken the bond between the paint, the wood, and the fiberglass tape. So, it is easy for me to understand your friend's viewpoint.

People who build with plywood may use marine plywood, or they may use common exterior-glued panels. Some may have even used plywood which was designed for interior use. If someone used inferior materials I wouldn't be surprised if their boat lasted a shorter time than one built with the right components.

Being built with plywood--an essentially flat material--many S&G designs have large flat areas. Probably some of the flat areas on some S&G designs could have benefitted from having some internal ribs or other supports--particularly when they are used with heavy laods. That tend to be a design issue which is either solved over time, or never solved. It depends on how much feedack the designer gets. Now a days structural engineering (handled by the computer) usually comes into play when a design is drawn up. The computers know how much a plywood panel of a given thickness can flex under a load, and maximum loads or extra bracing is specified.

Probably a lot of older stitch and glue boats did come to an early end. However, they were built inexpensively and easily, so the owners probably got their money's worth.

If you are building a modern stitch and glue design, and you sheathe the entire outside with glass, you essentially have a solid fiberglass tub with a wood boat inside it. If you coat the inside of the boat with two coats of epoxy to encapsulate the wood, or put a layer of glass on the inside, I can't see any reason why that boat should not last as long as a stripper.

Just some thoughts on the matter.

PGJ